Measurement of thermal diffusivity of bone, hydroxyapatite and metals for biomedical application

We present a microstructural study and thermal diffusivity measurements at room temperature in two different sections of bull dense bone, bull bone an d commercial hydroxyapatite, the last two in powder form. A comparison was made between these measured values and those obtained from metallic samples frequently used in implants such as high purity titanium and 316L stainles s steel. Our results show that the porosity and its orientation in the bone are two important factors for the heat flux through the bone. The hydroxya patite, in compact powder form, presents a thermal diffusivity value very n ear to those obtained for the bone samples which give a good thermal agreem ent between these materials. Finally, one order of magnitude of difference among the thermal diffusivity values of metallic samples and those correspo nding values to bone and hydroxyapatite was obtained, this difference being greater in titanium than in stainless steel.